Saintpaulia plant named ‘Butterfly Blue’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Saintpaulia plant named ‘Butterfly Blue’, characterized by its compact plant habit; freely flowering habit; and star-shaped double violet and light violet bi-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Saintpaulia ionanthacultivar Butterfly Blue.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofSaintpaulia plant, botanically known as Saintpaulia ionantha, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Butterfly Blue’.

The new Saintpaulia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new Saintpaulia cultivars with doubleflowers and attractive flower coloration.

The new Saintpaulia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2000 in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands of aproprietary selection of Saintpaulia identified as code number E 55, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofSaintpaulia identified as code number E 35, not patented, as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Saintpaulia was discovered and selected bythe Inventor within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Saintpaulia by leaf cuttings taken sinceApril, 2001 at Honselersdijk, The Netherlands, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Saintpaulia are stable and reproduced true to typein successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Butterfly Blue has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Butterfly Blue’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Butterfly Blue’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Compact plant habit.

2. Freely flowering habit.

3. Star-shaped double violet and light violet bi-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Saintpaulia differ from plants of the female parentselection in flower form, shape and coloration.

Plants of the new Saintpaulia differ from plants of the male parentselection in flower size and coloration.

Plants of the new Saintpaulia can be compared to plants of the cultivarRococo, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inHonselersdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Saintpaulia differedfrom plants of the cultivar Rococo in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Saintpaulia were larger than plants of the cultivarRococo.

2. Flowers of plants of the new Saintpaulia were positioned above thefoliage whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Rococo wereoccasionally within the foliage.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Saintpaulia was bi-colored whereasflower color of plants of the cultivar Rococo was not bi-colored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Saintpaulia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newSaintpaulia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical potted plant of ‘Butterfly Blue’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view ofthe upper and lower surfaces of typical flowers of ‘Butterfly Blue’(top) and upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Butterfly Blue’(bottom).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used in theaforementioned photographs and for the following observations andmeasurements were grown in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands, during thespring under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse for about10 weeks in 12-cm containers. During the production of the plants, dayand night temperatures averaged 22 and 19° C., respectively.

Botanical classification: Saintpaulia ionantha cultivar Butterfly Blue.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Saintpaulia ionanthaidentified as code number E 55, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Saintpaulia ionanthaidentified as code number E 35, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Leaf cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at 22° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 25 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fine; well-branched; white in color.

Plant description:

Form.—Compact plant habit with rounded crown and outwardly spreadingleaves. Plants are appropriate for 12-cm containers. Vigorous growthhabit.

Plant height at flowering.—About 11 to 13 cm.

Plant diameter at flowering.—About 25 to 30 cm.

Foliage description:

Arrangement.—Simple, basal rosette.

Length.—About 7 to 10 cm.

Width.—About 4 to 9 cm.

Shape.—Broadly cordate.

Apex.—Acute.

Base.—Cordate, overlapping.

Margin.—Crenate.

Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.

Venation pattern.—Pinnate.

Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Developingfoliage, lower surface: 59A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface:Darker than 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Closest to 191Coverlain with 186A. Venation, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Venation,lower surface: 194A.

Petiole.—Length: About 6 to 8 cm. Diameter: About 6 to 8 mm. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces:176B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single star-shaped double flowers arranged inpanicles that arise from the base; flowers face mostly upright. Freelyflowering, about two to eight flowers per peduncle and about six toeight peduncles per plant. Flowers persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Plants flower year round in The Netherlands.

Flower longevity.—Flowers of plants of the new Saintpaulia maintain goodsubstance for about seven to ten days under greenhouse conditions.

Flower diameter.—About 3.5 to 5 cm.

Flower depth (height).—About 1 to 1.5 cm.

Flower buds.—Shape: Spherical. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 8 mm.Color: 79C.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About 7 to 14. Length: About 1.2 to 2.5 cm.Diameter: About 1 to 1.6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin:Entire; undulate, ruffled. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,satiny. Color: When opening, upper surface: Darker than 86A; narrow 1 mmmargin, 91C. When opening, lower surface: 79B; narrow 1 mm margin, 91C.Fully opened, upper surface: Closest to 89A; narrow 1 mm margin, 86D;main color becoming closer to 89B to 89C with development. Fully opened,lower surface: Closest to 88A; narrow 1 mm margin, 91B.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five; fused. Length: About 8 mm.Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lowersurfaces: 177A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6 to 8.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 to 5 mm. Angle:Mostly erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Closest to 187C.

Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 to 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: 187A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About five. Antherlength: About 2 mm. Anther color: 12A. Pollen: None observed. Pistils:Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About8 mm. Style color: 79B. Stigma color: 79A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Saintpaulia have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Saintpauliasgrown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Saintpaulia plant named‘Butterfly Blue’, as illustrated and described.